Sneak
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: Because, after all, she was only doing this to show Cho just how much she loved her. Just how far she would go to save Cho from the evils of this world.


_**I own none of this. A lot of the verbal stuff was taken from my copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. J.K owns everything except for the last few sentences. She even owns the plot.**_

….  
>Marietta Edgecombe was sitting on the train heading back to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays. She had spent the entire two weeks at home, listening to her mother rant about an illegal group going on up at the school. Her school, Hogwarts. An illegal group that she herself was involved in, however unwillingly.<br>"Do you know anything about this organization meetings, dear?" cajoled her mother. "Sweetheart, if you know anything, you have the duty to tell Madame Umbridge, I hope you understand that." An entire two weeks of that had broken her down. After all, Dumbledore and Potter were probably lying, anyway. She would tell Professor Umbridge. But listening to Cho Chang, who sat next to her, chittering away about how her holidays had been, she couldn't compel herself to do it. The D.A. had given her friend a reason to smile. Although Marietta didn't know it, it was actually the dark haired, bespectacled boy who ran the D.A. that lit Cho's smile.

(Sometimes, Marietta wished _she _could be the source of Cho's smile, though she never told anyone that, not even Cho herself.)  
>For a long time, she held it in, the secrets that she held. For six months, six long exhausting months, she stood there and listened to Crazy Potter, Lying Potter her mother said, claim Voldemort was back and that was why they needed to train.<br>"You-Know-Who is not back, Marietta," her mother wrote back calmly in response to a frightened letter. "If anyone is telling you these preposterous lies, you must turn them in! It is your duty!" The nearly seventeen year old girl felt as if she were being torn in two. Stay loyal to Cho or stay loyal to her mother?

(She loved her mother, but Cho was her best friend. Cho was, Marietta felt, _more _than her best friend.)

One evening, she received the usual coin message informing her that they were meeting tonight. She stood up calmly and in a dull voice informed Cho she had to use the loo.

(She hated lying to Cho, but, knowing that that pretty face, the make-up, was not for her-it made her angry. Potter deserved what he was getting.)  
>"But what about…" Cho looked around cautiously. "The club?"<br>"I'll see you later, Cho. I'll just be a few minutes behind. You can make it on your own, can't you?"

(Please don't go. Don't let me do this.)  
>"Let me come with you at least?" needled Cho. Marietta knew Cho was a nervous wreck, often compelled to collapsing into tears.<br>"No, I'll be ok." Marietta walked off. She had decided that now was the perfect time to reveal the truth.  
>Harry Potter, lying Potter, had broken Cho's heart that Valentine's Day. He deserved this.<p>

(Cho ought to have gone with _her_, instead. Marietta could have made Cho happy.)  
>She knocked on Professor Umbridge's office door, heart thumping. It didn't occur to her that she would be crushing Cho as well.<br>"You're telling me that there is an illegal group meeting right now? Tonight, Miss Edgecombe?"  
>She nodded, gulping down her tea. "The room is called the Room of Requirement, on the seventh floor, ma'am." That was when she caught sight of herself in a mirror. Her pretty, pale face was covered in spots, spelling out the word SNEAK. She squealed and covered her face with her robes. Madame Umbridge tried to get her to keep talking, but she couldn't or wouldn't, now knowing what she looked like.<br>"Stay here until I get you then, Miss Edgecombe."  
>She sits there in the bright pink chair in Professor Umbridge's office for nearly an entire half hour. The kitten styled plates scare her, the way they purr and move. Give her a bunny rabbit any day. When Professor Umbridge comes back, she beckons at Marietta to follow her, appearing nearly gleeful.<br>Umbridge leads her to Dumbledore's office, which terrifies Marietta. She's never been here. She's never gotten into trouble. She knows that, even though it's killing her, Cho deserved to be punished. Marietta had tried to warn her about Lying Potter. Cho deserved this. Marietta had simply been looking out for her mother, and by extension (in her mind) Cho. She was protecting Cho from evil liars like Potter.

(People like Potter, who could never love Cho the way Marietta did.)  
>In Dumbledore's office, the Minister, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, two Aurors, (who frighten her, temporarily convinced she was going to be carted away to Azkaban) and a ginger haired man that reminds her of the Weasleys all stand there. When they walk in, all eyes swivel on the three teens. The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious, watching what was happening below them. Marietta scowled as one portrait leered at her spots. They have her stand behind a door, out of sight. Yet she can<br>see and hear everything. Though, thankfully, they can't see her. When Potter and Cho comes in, Marietta can see Cho has been crying. Lying Potter makes no noise, staring blankly, appearing to take in the room.

(How can he be so heartless? She wants to move to Cho, comfort her, but Marietta is stuck where she is, watching Cho cry. And Potter is doing _nothing_.)  
>Cornelius Fudge was glaring at Potter with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face. Marietta wondered what he'd do. Would he punish Cho? Would he punish Marietta simply for joining, even though she'd revealed them?<br>"Well," said Minister Fudge. "Well, well, well ..."  
>"He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower," said Madame Umbridge. "The Malfoy boy cornered him."<br>"Did he, did he?"Said Fudge appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter ... I expect you know why you are here?"  
>"Ye-no." stammered Potter. Marietta blinked at him behind the hidden door. Surely Potter wasn't that stupid?<p>

(Of course he was)  
>"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge.<br>"No," said Potter, sounding certain, firmer.  
>"You don't know why you are here?"<br>"No, I don't," said Potter. Marietta could feel the anger pouring off Professor Umbridge. She was seething.  
>"So, it's news to you, is it," said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, "that an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"<br>'Yes, it is,' said Potter, trying to play innocence.  
>'I think, Minister,' said Umbridge silkily from beside him, 'we might<br>make better progress if I fetch our informant.'  
>'Yes, yes, do,' said Fudge, nodding. 'There's nothing like a good<br>witness, is there, Dumbledore?'  
>Marietta panics, knowing Umbridge is coming to retrieve her. She covers her face with her hands.<br>'Nothing at all, Cornelius,' said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head. When Professor Umbridge comes back into the office, dragging her, the ginger man has Potter by the collar in one hand and Cho in the other. She wants to apologize to Cho, but she can't find the words. They've escaped her.

(Please forgive me, Cho. I was doing this for you.)  
>Cho meets her eyes with tears, clearly gazing at the word SNEAK written across her face for a second before Marietta slaps her hands back over her face. Cho gasps, a look of horror passing over her features. Lying Potter doesn't even appear to see her, as he gazes off at a wall.<p>

(Damn Potter.)  
>"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened, "said Professor Umbridge softly, patting her on the back, "it's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be<br>telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister, "she added, looking up at Fudge, "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office- she's been helping us police the Hogwart's fires, you know."  
>"Jolly good, jolly good!" said Fudge heartily. "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to-galloping gargoyles!"<br>As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed, and stamped on the hem of his cloak which had started to smoke. Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word SNEAK.  
>"Never mind the spots now, dear," said Umbridge impatiently, "just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister—" But Marietta gave another muffled wail and shook her head frantically.<p>

(Cho couldn't see her like this; Cho would never love her if she looked like this.)  
>"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back on to her face and said, "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately, at that point this hex," she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face, 'came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me anymore."<br>"Well, now,' "said Fudge, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look, "it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge. You did exactly the right  
>thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"<br>But Marietta would not speak; she merely shook her head again, her eyes wide and fearful.  
>"Haven't we got a counter-jinx for this?"Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing at Marietta's face. 'So she can speak freely?'<br>"I have not yet managed to find one," Umbridge admitted grudgingly, worrying Marietta that she would be stuck like this. "But it doesn't matter if she won't speak; I can take up the story from here."  
>Marietta blocked out the adults' voices, trying to get Cho to look at her, understand. She fell into a sort of daydream in which everything worked out well and Cho wasn't mad at her.<p>

(Please don't hate me.)  
>"Evidence?"Said Umbridge suddenly, jerking Marietta out of her trance.<p>

"Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"  
>"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" said Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."<br>"Miss Edgecombe," said Umbridge at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been  
>happening regularly over the last six months?"<br>"Just nod or shake your head, dear," Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta, "come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx."  
>Marietta opened her mouth to respond, but then her mind was blank, as if there was nothing in it. A voice whispered <em>"Shake your head no,"<em> She shook her head.  
>"I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"<br>_"Shake your head no, Marietta." _Again, Marietta shook her head.  
>"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge in a testy voice.<br>I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," said Professor McGonagall harshly, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"  
>Marietta nodded.<br>"But there was a meeting tonight!"Said Umbridge furiously. Marietta wanted to nod, to make Professor Umbridge happy, but she couldn't think of why she should. Wouldn't that be lying? "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organized it, Potter-why are you shaking your head, girl?"  
>"Well, usually when a person shakes their head, "said McGonagall coldly, "they mean "no". So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans—" Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised; the dark Auror started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.<br>"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores, "said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry.  
>"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge,"said the dark Auror, in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now."<br>"No, "said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure. "I mean, yes-you're right, Shacklebolt-I-I forgot myself." Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She felt neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release; she was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes and staring straight ahead of her. She couldn't think straight, her thoughts muddled. Where was she?

(Why did Cho look so worried? Has Marietta done something wrong?)  
>"Dolores, "said Fudge, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all, "the meeting tonight-the one we know definitely happened—"<br>"Yes, "said Umbridge, pulling herself together, "yes ... well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided." She pulled out a list from her pocket.  
>Potter gasped, straining to move forward. Marietta watched the adults around her argue as if in a dream. Her head was clouded, incapable of thinking, as if part of her were gone.<p>

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting, "said Dumbledore suddenly. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of  
>course."<br>Marietta nodded.  
>"You've been plotting against me!" cried the Minister.<br>"That's right," replied Dumbledore.  
>"No!" shouted Potter, still struggling to get out of the ginger haired man's grip.<br>Marietta blocked them out, wanting to think. What had she forgotten? What was the space in her head? Why was she struggling, as if looking at two different memories, one in which she had followed Cho to a room for six months and another in which Potter had asked her to join the first meeting tonight? Was she going mad? Which memory was real?

(Cho, please help me.)  
>And then there was a bang and the Minister and Professor Umbridge lay on the floor. Dumbledore was saying something, but she didn't listen. She watched Professor Dumbledore disappear just as the Minister woke up.<br>"Where is he?" yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the floor.  
>"I don' "I don't know!"Shouted the dark Auror, also leaping to his feet.<br>"Well he couldn't have Disapparated!" cried Umbridge. "You can't do it from inside this school—"  
>"The stairs!" cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated and then got slowly to his feet, brushing<br>dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.  
>"Minerva, "said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve,<br>'I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."  
>"You think so, do you?" said Professor McGonagall scornfully. Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.<br>"You'd better get those three off to bed, "said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod towards Harry, Cho, and Marietta.

(Cho...why were they all so confused and worried? What was going on?)  
>Processor McGonagall said nothing, but marched Potter, Marietta, and Cho to the door. As it swung closed behind them, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus's voice.<br>"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts ... but you cannot deny he's got style..."

….

When Cho tried to convince the other members of the D.A. that Marietta was just confused and was still a very trustful girl, they turned away from both Ravenclaws. Cho remained by her side for the rest of the year, but the two both could see an obvious distance between them, a broken string.

(Cho would always protect Marietta. That's what _friends _did.)  
>When Marietta gets out of the Hospital Wing, she took to wearing a balaclava and heavy make up. She would never give up on either of them, even when the pimples died down into scars. She would have those scars on her face forever, permanent reminders that she had betrayed her one and only true love.<p>

(Don't think I'm ugly, Cho. I love you.)

When the Second War begins, Marietta and her family skip out, not wanting to be involved (or disgraced) anymore. A Ravenclaw three years her senior asked her out. She turns him down, assuming it's a pity date. She does not love him, she can not love any man. Her mother and father can never quite understand why she never comes home with a boy, never expresses any interest in the dates they set up for her.

(I don't love you. I love Cho.)

She would never actually date, or marry, as she is too concerned about them running off due to her appearance. When Cho and Michael Corner marry, Marietta is not invited. The two girls are not friend anymore. Except for when Cho calls to discuss her nervous break downs. They stay in touch through letters, but Marietta does not come over. She does not feel welcome in the home of the bastard who has taken her Cho away.

(How could you betray me? I _love _you.)  
>Marietta is raped by a Muggle man when she is nineteen; she has always hated men, and this only further confirms her suspicions that they are all devils. But, the girl born nine months later is named Cho. A miracle little girl who she loves with all her heart. Marietta can not take care of the baby though, with no money and no future. She is to be raised by her namesake, never aware of her true mother's identity. Cho loves her adopted daughter like the real thing, but Marietta can not visit, because Michael does not want her there. She had tried to kiss Cho in front of him, had tried to explain that they were meant to be.<p>

(I named her for you. For us. For what we are.)  
>Her mother falls out of Ministry graces after the sacking of Fudge. Marietta never gets a job at the Ministry. She works in several different places; odd ends and jobs. When she kills herself at age twenty-four (it is so, <em>so <em>easy to get a gun, if you try hard enough), she is easily identified, due to the scars. Cho shows up to identify her, crying for the friend she has not seen in five years. She cried and begged for Marietta to come back, because it wasn't fair. She had loved Marietta, as a friend, but would never see her again.

(She loved Cho, even after all those years. She always did.)

Marietta, Marietta. You sneak.


End file.
